Flight attendant’s rambling spurs passengers to act
Incident prior to takeoff explained as medical issue
DALLAS – Passengers on American Airlines Flight 2332 were settling in for a trip to Chicago on Friday when they say a flight attendant took over the airplane’s public-address system and launched into a rant that included references to 9/11 and the safety of their aircraft.
At first puzzled, then frightened, several passengers wrestled the flight attendant into a seat while the plane was still on the ground at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
The pilot returned the plane to the gate, where it was met by airport police and the FBI. After a delay of more than an hour, the plane finally took off.
A federal law enforcement official said airport police determined the incident was a medical issue and not a security threat.
The official said the flight attendant was taken to Parkland Hospital in Dallas for evaluation. Two other crew members were injured in the incident and taken to a local hospital.
Bethany Christakos, of Dallas, seated toward the rear of the plane, said passengers started “freaking out” as one of the flight attendants launched into a rambling, 15-minute speech.
“She said, ‘I’m not responsible for this plane crashing,’ ” Christakos said.
Brad LeClear, of Fox Lake, Ill., said he was one of several passengers who restrained the flight attendant. She said something about 9/11 – that she wished she could have stopped the terror attacks that used hijacked jetliners, he said.
“She mentioned being bipolar, and I asked her if she had taken her medicine, and she said, no,” he said.
LeClear said he felt sorry for the flight attendant, but was glad to land safely in Chicago. If an incident like that happened in flight, he said, “She could have opened the door and done something to jeopardize the safety of all the passengers.”
Other passengers stood at their seats to see what was happening in the front of the economy-class section. Some called 911.
Airline industry officials said incidents such as Friday’s are extremely rare. A JetBlue Airways flight attendant, Steven Slater, made a flamboyant exit from his job in 2010 when he took over the PA system, cursed a passenger, snatched a beer, pulled the emergency chute and slid to the tarmac. Slater said he cracked under the pressure of health and family problems.